NEWS OF RELIGIOUS CONFLICT & INTOLERANCE

2002-MAY

2002-MAY-2: HI: Physician Assisted Suicide bill to be
voted upon: The "Death with Dignity Act," HB 2487, was passed by the
Hawaii House of Representatives on 2002-MAR-7 by a vote of 30 to 20. The
bill then went to the Senate. Senator David Matsuura, the chairperson of the
Senate Health Committee, personally disagreed with the bill, and refused
to allow it to be voted upon by his committee. In a
surprise move, the Senate overruled Matsuura by voting to pull the bill
out of the Health Committee. House Bill 2487 was rejected by the state Senate on 2002-MAY-3
by a slim margin. It will probably be re-introduced during the next term. 11More details.

2002-MAY-8: CA: Newspaper reports anti-Wiccan
demonstration:
The Antelope Valley Press of Palmdale, CA, reported on what the
called "Wiccagate:" a demonstration by Christians against a group
of Wiccans who were rededicating the Witches Grove: a store in
Lancaster CA which sells Neopagan material. The ritual also involved the
celebration of the spring equinox, and honored the Pagan Goddess Brigid
and the God Thor. "Store proprietors alleged that Christian protesters
bumped participants in the Wiccan ritual, screamed Bible verses and blared
Christian rock music in the store's back parking lot, where the
rededication ceremony took place." 11 Cyndia Riker,
a Wiccan high priestess and owner of the store, said that the Sheriff's
Department took five hours to respond to a phone call for help. One of the
Christians alleged to have taken part is Billy Pricer, a volunteer
sheriff's chaplain and pastor of Life Changers Christian Center. He
was reported as saying that the event was "totally blown out of
proportion." He said that the protest was not organized. However,
Riker said that representatives from three local Christian churches
arrived in rental cars at about the same time and that some of the
protestors communicated via walkie-talkies. Pricer is reported as saying
that the protestors only went there to pray in public for the Wiccans.

The lesson? If you are a non-Christian and plan to hold a public ritual,
we suggest that you request police protection in advance. As a minimum,
have a member videotape the entire ritual.

2002-MAY-1: CA: More on Christian interruption of Pagan
ritual: About twenty conservative
Christians interrupted a Pagan religious service in Lancaster CA. The
fifty Pagans were present near the time of the spring solstice to dedicate
the Witches Grove gift store. "Words were exchanged. A praying
man, who turned out to be a sheriff's chaplain, was blaring Christian pop
tunes through his SUV speakers. 'Forgive them, Lord,' he said. 'They don't
know what they're doing. The pagans said they felt intimidated and called
the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Although the Lancaster
station is three blocks away, it took deputies 4 1/2 hours to respond. By
the time they arrived, everyone was gone." The event triggered intense
debate among the locals about First Amendment Rights, hate legislation and
the limits of tolerance. The Antelope Valley Interfaith Council has
scheduled a day of prayer on MAY-19 in response to the event. Council
President, Bishop Bernard Price, of the Orthodox Christian Church of
St. Thomas said: "What technically happened was not a crime, but a
great deal of hatred motivated the action. The Christians accused [the
Pagans] of being Satanists, and [the Pagans] don't believe in that. It's
only the religious right that believes in Satan." [Actually, Muslims
believe in the existence of Satan as well.] In recent years, valley
leaders have attempted to "combat the area's reputation for
narrow-mindedness...[they have founded] a hate crimes hotline, a human
relations task force and an anger management course for teens drawn to
bigotry....The man blaring his stereo was...John Canavello, then
associate chaplain at the Lancaster sheriff's station." He has since
been suspended because of his involvement in the incident. 12

2002-MAY-8: Ireland: Dean Furlong of the Church of Ireland
avoids heresy trial: Very Rev. Andrew Furlong, former Dean of
Clonmacnoise and rector of Trim and Athboy, had written an article on a
parish web site. In it, he expressed his idea that Jesus was human, not
God. This is a common belief among very liberal Christians. It is shared
by some theologians who have investigated the life of the historical
Jesus, and by the 1st century Jewish Christians led by James.
For his beliefs, Bishop Richard Clarke suspended Furlong 2001-DEC, and
initiated a heresy trial in 2002-MAR. Furlong has resigned both
posts. He hopes that he will be allowed to remain a member of the Church
of Ireland. The church is part of the Anglican Communion, which is been
known for its tolerance of unorthodox beliefs among its clergy and laity.
13

2002-MAY-10: MI: Mutual discrimination between gay
supporters and Christians:In the Fall of 2001, Pioneer
High School at Ann Arbor, MI, adopted a non-discrimination policy. Student
clubs were asked to sign a policy to not discriminate against members on
the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. The Christian club
could wanted to preserve its policy of discriminating against gays and
lesbians and so asked and received an excecption. The school's Gay
Straight Alliance, which is composed of gays, lesbians and
heterosexuals who support an end to discrimination on the basis of sexual
orientation complained. The group's faculty advisor said: "Either we
have a non-discrimination policy or we don’t." Later in the school
year, the annual Diversity Week arrived. Some Christian club students
asked to participate in a GSA-sponsored panel on sexuality and religion.
They were refused. Instead, the GSA invited local clergy who supported
equal rights for gays and lesbians. They justified their decision on the
basis that it was their panel, and that the diversity week was all about
promoting diversity, not discrimination. It appears that neither group
understands the importance of tolerance.

2002-MAY-10: VA: Christian college refused
accreditation:Patrick Henry College in Northern Virginia aims
its services at home-schooled children. The college teaches creation
science as truth. According to its "Statement of Biblical Worldview,"
it requires that evolution,
'theistic' or otherwise, will not be treated as an acceptable theory."
Its faculty is chosen on the basis of their belief that God created the
universe in six 24-hour days. The college was denied accreditation by the
American Academy for Liberal Education.
According to the Academy, the College failed to meet two standards:

One standard requires that: "Liberty of thought and freedom of speech are
supported and protected, bound only by such rules of civility and order as
to facilitate intellectual inquiry and the search for truth."

Another standard mandates that "The general education
requirement ensures a basic knowledge of mathematics and the physical and
biological sciences."

Patrick Henry College President Michael Farris is reported as saying: "I
think what they are saying is that because we teach creationism we've
introduced what to them is faux science into our courses." 14

2002-MAY-17: Australia: Gays and lesbians refused
communion: Groups of gays and lesbians who are promoting equal rights
for homosexuals attempted to come forward for communion in various Roman
Catholic cathedrals on Pentecost Sunday. Included were twenty individuals
at St. Mary's in Sydney and twelve at St. Patrick's in Melbourne. They
were refused communion. Similar groups in Chicago, Minneapolis, New York,
and Rochester were given communion. In Melbourne, Archbishop Denis Hart
blessed the group. Archbishop George Pell told the congregation at St.
Mary's that "God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. Homosexual
acts are contrary to the natural law, they close the sexual act to the
gift of life." The group returned to their pews and stood in silent
protest. Spokesperson Michael Kelly said: "Refusal to give communion is
the second most serious sanction in church life, after excommunication. So
it's a very rare and very important sanction that's been imposed on us."
Pell later read out a prepared statement regretting that "an
ideological demonstration" was mounted during Mass. He said that any
Catholic who who publicly defined himself as "supporting or practicing
activities contrary to church teaching in a serious matter is not entitled
to receive Holy Communion." He said that he would "continue to
dialogue privately and publicly with those who think differently."
Kelly said that the group had sent church leaders nine written appeals for
dialogue over the past five years. All have been ignored.
15

2002-MAY-22: NH & MA: Woman sues church over sexist policies:
Susan Rockwell, a lawyer, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in
Concord NH, against the Roman Catholic dioceses of Manchester and Boston.
She claims that the church's refusal to consider women for the priesthood
violates her right to free expression and religion.The suit asks
that the church's tax exempt status be revoked, and that the IRS be barred
from renewing it until the church agrees to ordain women. The lawsuit
reads, in part: ''It is well established in federal case law that
religious entities who discriminate against the civil rights of
individuals must forfeit their preferential tax status, even when the
discriminatory practice is based on 'sincerely held religious belief' if
it violates civil rights, public policy, the social norm and the community
conscience.'' In 1983, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the cancellation
of the tax-exempt status of Bob Jones University in Greenville SC,
because of its long-standing ban on inter-racial dating. She commented: ''They
are not going to stop until it really hits them in the pocketbook. If they
have to choose between women priests or tax exempt status, they will
suddenly decide they got a revelation that women should be priests.''
The implications of this lawsuit are vast. If Rockwell wins her case, the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the Southern Baptist
Convention and many other conservative Christian, Jewish and Muslim groups
could also be denied tax-exempt status.
16

2002-MAY-23: Vatican: Reports on three major lawsuits: The
Cybercast News Service reports that the Vatican is being sued. Three
U.S. cases involve alleged money laundering, theft of property in
Yugoslavia and sexual abuse by American priests. Total damages, if the
lawsuits are proven, could reach one billion dollars.

Insurance commissioners from Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee,
Oklahoma and Arkansas have mounted a lawsuit under the Racketeer
Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. They want to recover
$200 million from what they say is a scam by a financer who used the
Catholic Church as a front.

A second lawsuit alleges that several hundred dollars of gold and
other assets were stolen from Serbs and Jews by the Ustashe -- the
fascist organization that ruled Yugoslavia during World War II. They
further allege that the money was laundered by the Vatican following the
war.

A RICO lawsuit against four dioceses and former bishop Anthony
O'Connell has been expanded to name the Vatican as a defendant.
17

2002-MAY-23: Jesus' name bleeped out by ABC: Joy Behar, co-host
of ABC's program The View was commenting on her success in a
dieting program. She said: "Yes, and thank you, thank you Jesus, is all
I have to say." ABC has a policy of not allowing Jesus' name to be
used in an exclamation. So "Jesus" was replaced by a beep.
Fundamentalist pastor Rev. Jerry Falwell, some conservative Christian
media watchdogs, and Joy Behar complained. A spokesperson for the Media
Research Center said: "It is political correctness run amok."

2002-MAY-23: USA: Dr Laura attacks Muslims: According to the
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR): "In an
apparent reference to Muslims and Islam, syndicated radio talk-show host
Dr. Laura Schlessinger today mentioned people in a 'major part' of the
world who teach 'two and three-year-olds' to kill 'infidels.' She said
that those killed should be as 'innocent as possible.' She contrasted that
part of the world with 'civilized societies.''

"Last month, Dr. Laura claimed that there is a 'Muslim plan' to
dominate the world." 4

2002-MAY-27: FL: Massive billboards of aborted fetus on display:
TheCenter For Bio-Ethical Reform has arranged to have
gigantic billboards, measuring 100' long and 30' tall, towed behind
airplanes in Southern Florida. They will concentrate on beaches and other
places where large crowds gather, between the Memorial Day weekend and
Labor Day. They recommend parental discretion. 18

2002-MAY-29: CA: School district allows gay & lesbian teachers to
reveal their sexual orientation: Heterosexual teachers across North
America have been allowed to reveal their sexual orientation freely to
their students -- for example by mentioning that they are about to get
married, or that their wife had a baby. But Hayward Unified School
District has recently passed a resolution extended this freedom to gay
and lesbian teachers. The board said that "the resolution is about
training students and teachers about tolerance." Conservative
Christian groups expressed outrage partly because the school board does
not require the teacher to obtain parents' permission in advance. The
Family Research Council said: "Educators, of all people, should be
able to teach decency and kindness without injecting their personal sexual
preferences into the classroom. This isn't about creating a supportive
environment for gays and lesbians. This is about schools usurping the role
of parents. This is about indoctrination, not education." 19

2002-MAY-29:
VA: Governor distresses conservative Christians: Governor Mark
Warner gave a speech at a graduation
ceremony at the University of Virginia. He said, in part: "One of the
greatest threats facing our world comes from those who believe they are
acting out God's will — no matter what their religion." Joe
Glover, president of the Family Policy Network in Virginia
complained that the governor's remarks were incorrect because they were
directed at followers of all religions. Glover felt that they should have
been directed only to religious groups who harm others in the name of
religion. Glover said that the governor: "... believes that
conservative Christians are as much a threat or harm to society as are
Islamic terrorists who fly airplanes into buildings full of people."
The Family Policy Network is demanding an apology from the
governor. 20

2002-MAY-30: World: Conservative Christians act in stealth
capacity: An article in Mother Jones magazine criticizes some
Evangelical Christians who are entering Islamic countries pretending to be
professionals (English teachers, health workers, humanitarian workers,
etc/) Once there, they attempt to spread conservative Christian beliefs
and make converts. This can produce a backlash against workers in other
humanitarian organizations, including those sponsored by Christian groups. 20

2002-MAY-30: NY: Unmarried partners of victims of 9-11 terrorist
attack to collect from federal fund: Kenneth R. Feinberg, special
master of the Sept. 11 Victim Compensation Fund announced that the
fund may give substantial awards to unmarried partners of individuals who
were killed in the 9-11 terrorist attack. Awards will be assured in those
instances where the family of the deceased are supportive. Otherwise,
cases will be reviewed individually. Since Governor George E. Pataki
(R-NY) issued an executive order shortly after the attack which extended
spousal benefits to gay partners under the State Crime Victims Board,
both same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples will be treated
equally. There are 22 known gay and lesbian surviving partners among the
approximately 3,000 persons killed in the terrorist attacks. Meanwhile,
Republicans in the House of Representatives shelved a Senate bill,
that would have provided death benefits to the survivors of the Rev.
Mychal Judge, a New York City Fire Department chaplain nine other gay
public safety officers who died at the the World Trade Center. All were
gay. Rev. Louis P. Sheldon, founder of the Traditional Values Coalition
complained that that charitable organizations "should be giving
priority to those widows who were home with their babies" and that
government agencies should not be swayed by gay and lesbian advocates "capitalizing
on a national tragedy to promote their homosexual agenda." 22

References:

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